


Lasting Damage, Lesser Pain ((Oneshot))

by rexibro



Category: Areons Plain, Original Work
Genre: Body Image, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-11
Updated: 2018-10-11
Packaged: 2019-07-29 11:39:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16263440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rexibro/pseuds/rexibro
Summary: An unexpected lapse of emotional honesty on Ragna's part.((Areons Plain is a fantasy roleplay group on Amino that I take part in. Ragna belongs to me, Alieva belongs to my friend Aleoms!))





	Lasting Damage, Lesser Pain ((Oneshot))

Of all the circumstances Alieva believed she would find herself in when she was younger, sleeping in the bed of the legendary Queen of Greteland beside her wyvern whilst the queen herself slept on her own couch was not it. Yet somehow, here she was, staring up at the great paintings on the roof, the scenes of war, bloodshed and loss, frozen and immortalised in oil and pigment.  
What else, Alieva could never have pictured being chosen to fight a world ending force by the gods of Lonce beside King Aleoms, Sir Igral and of course, Ragna. Her sharp eyes, irresistible charm and deep empathy of course made her fantastic with animals, and one of the sharpest shots known, but fighting alongside such high ranking individuals against such a malicious threat on the horizon? That was as farfetched as could be. 

But here she was, and god dammit, she just had to deal with it, didn't she? 

Alieva turned her head to face her wyvern.  
Lavi snored gently, smouldering, gently glowing little embers flying into the air with every exhale. Alieva sighed and turned back up to look at the painting.   
It was disturbing in content, to say at the least.

Visions of a towering menace, crumbling mountains with a single squeeze of his great scaled fists, his legs tied to the underworld by blazing divine chains, tearing entire basilicas from their cities. To its right, a vision of the same menace falling to the ground in a great, cascading cloud of ash, falling to the feet of...

"His name was Asvàldr," said a familiar voice.  
Alieva sat upright and stared at Ragna.  
"How did you know I was looking at the titan?"  
"You looked disturbed. Frankly, Asvàldr's part in the mural is the most disturbing of all."

Alieva narrowed her eyes and smiled at Ragna with a curious, trivial gaze. Ragna met her deep, azure eyes with her usual, blank crimson stare. 

"And you took down this behemoth, according to this painting. Is that true?"

Ragna shivered. The feathers that dawned her neck, arms, legs and wings all collectively began to rise, and she shook herself of her nerves, accidentally giving Lavi a brisk wake up slap with her wings in the process.

"..Yes.. But at a price." 

Alieva was curious. Put emphasis on the was - she suddenly found herself not wanting to know and yelling at her to stop as Ragna lifted her cream coloured singlet over her head, exposing her body. 

Her upper chest was wrapped in bandages, fluffy little black feathers poking from the linen. But down further, around her stomach, those feathers were plucked and scorched and shrivelled - and a menacing looking duo of scars snaked around her body.   
They looked as though they were simultaneously burn and cut wounds, and one cut diagonally from her lowest left rib to her pelvis, the other simply slicing horizontally around her surprisingly feminine waist.  
Alieva gasped in horror, all colour being drained from her face.  
Ragna stared at her with the same blank expression.

"I lost my gallbladder and a kidney, my liver and stomach were severely damaged and my appendix burst. It was a miracle they could repair the damage done to my spine alone, let alone my muscles. I thought the gods had finally taken me." 

The wyvern trainer's mind raced a mile a minute. This is why Ragna refuses to drink. This is why she caught her taking those herbs and frequently visited the healing mages. This is why Ragna hisses in pain when she goes to lay down and refuses to eat. If Asvàldr did this much damage to her back then, almost took her LIFE for the gods' sake, and Asvàldr wasn't a world ending threat at all, how could she possibly come up and stand against whatever was on the horizon now?

"You can't go."  
"Pardon?"  
Alieva stared up at her with a convinced, stern glare.

"You can't fight the threat Guntler told us about."  
"I assure you I can, Alieva."  
"You can't! Asvàldr is nowhere near as strong as whatever's coming for us. You don't stand a chance, and if it takes you away, Greteland will be lost, I'll be lost, I wouldn't know what to do, I-i..."

She was interrupted as great arms took her into their embrace and Ragna rubbed her surprisingly soft cheek against hers.

"Alieva. I fought Asvàldr alone. I was young, naive, reckless; blinded by the heroism of sacrifice to understand that part of being a guardian is to always survive each fight to protect those you love against the threats the future holds. Do you understand?"

Alieva nodded, deciding that it would be best to hide her shamefully flushed face and teary eyes in the feathers of her neck.

"We are more than a challenge for whatever is on the horizon, no matter how strong it may be. Aleoms is the most talented mage I have ever known. His magic alters reality on a scale I have never seen. Igral... I have chosen him as my military general for a good cause. He is borne of those who serve Otir in the ageless sanctuary Achigren, and his ethereal gift has honed itself into a formidable force over the years, and of course..."

Ragna pulled Alieva away from her arms, cupping her puffed and frightened looking face in her hands, staring at her with a fond gaze she hadn't given to anyone for a very, very long time.

"...We have you, Alieva. The sharpest shot in all the land, tamer of beasts none other than you can tame."

Alieva leaned forward, and for a sweet moment, there was silence as their foreheads pressed against one another, noses brushing. Ragna's deep, rolling voice soothed all her concerns and misgivings, it seemed...

"I am here," the harpy whispered. "I will not go yet. We will be alright." 

Alieva accepted the comfort with bliss.


End file.
